iTake a Shot
by DoofusPrime
Summary: Sam finally takes Carly's advice and makes a move.  Is kissing Freddie enough to get what she wants, or will it put both her friendships on the line?
1. Just a Kiss

**iTake a Shot**, by DoofusPrime

_Hope you guys enjoy this story. It will begin at the very end of the episode 'iOMG'. While it is focused on Sam and Freddie and how they deal with Sam revealing her feelings, other characters will often be involved, and hopefully there'll be some humor here and there to enjoy as well. Thanks!_

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**Just a Kiss**

XX

What a crock. Here he was, telling her how scary it was for a person to put their feelings out there, when he didn't know the half of it.

Sam knew she shouldn't be surprised; Freddie had no problem putting _his_ feelings out there when it came to Carly, even if it was totally embarrassing to witness most of the time. But it wasn't that easy for Sam. He didn't understand. Sam was all about holding those feelings back, especially when they were embarrassing feelings for a guy as dorky as Fredward Benson. How the heck did she even let things get this far? How did she end up feeling the way she did about a guy named _Fredward_? She stared blankly at him as the two of them stood outside the school near the classroom window. One part of her wanted to punch the kid for butting into her business. For making things so difficult, just like Carly had been doing.

But another part...

"Everyone feels that way!"

Except Freddie, apparently. _He_ didn't think it was scary to tell Carly exactly how he felt. Hearing Freddie's little attempts to win Carly over had always got on Sam's nerves. The way he hung around her like an awkward puppy, the way he was always so desperate. Although he had gotten better about it lately, like he was getting more confident and realizing that proclaiming his attraction to Carly over and over was just awkward. Not a good way to get her to like him back.

But even though Freddie was less obvious about it than he used to be, it still annoyed Sam. And she knew it wasn't just because it was so awkward. It was because she was – she could barely even speak the word in her mind – _jealous_.

"But you never know what might happen if you don't-"

_Oh, what the heck._

Sam leaned forward and grabbed him insistently by the shoulders. No turning back now – she couldn't resist anymore, anyway. She pulled him in and kissed him, taking his stupid advice. When it came down to it, maybe it was cliché, maybe it was corny, coming from a goody-two-shoes like Freddie, but she knew he was right. It was the only way she'd find out if she had a chance. And besides, she'd been waiting to kiss that goody-two-shoes for a while.

The kiss hung in time, like it was never going to end, but she didn't want to freak him out too much, and she got a flashing feeling that someone might catch them at it. She pulled back and watched for a reaction. Freddie stood still for a moment. He looked like he had been paralyzed. He hadn't kissed back, but Sam knew that was because she had taken him by surprise – now, it was the moment of truth. Was he going to kiss her back? Stick his tongue out in disgust? Stand there like a stone until she left awkwardly? Judging by his expression, she began to worry it might end up being the last one.

"I..."

Freddie's thought trailed off, his expression unreadable. Sam wondered if she had made a mistake.

"Sorry," she offered.

"S'cool."

They stood together while Sam waited for some kind of response. Something more than that. She had just told him how she felt; she had just taken her chance. Maybe not in words, but a kiss spoke louder than words anyway. The truth was out. She was putting it all on the line. She was afraid, but also a little relieved that she could finally be honest.

"I seriously thought you were into Brad," Freddie finally said.

"Nope. I'm, uh – I'm into you."

"But why? You're mean to me all the time – you punch me, you tell me you hate me. I don't get it!"

Sam sighed in exasperation. "I _did_ hate you, at first," she said. "I mean, sort of. You were pretty annoying. But I guess things changed, and I didn't want to admit it, so I kept giving you a hard time to hide it. Girls do that, Benson."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously. Maybe guys too, I wouldn't know. I'd ask you, if you were a real guy."

Sam flinched before the words left her lips. Whoops.

"Okay," said Freddie indignantly, "you kiss me, you tell me you like me, and then you insult me?"

"Sorry, sorry. It's just a reflex! I'm nervous right now, okay?"

Freddie looked angry, but fortunately he seemed to buy Sam's apology. She mentally kicked herself for insulting the masculinity of the boy for whom she had just put her emotions out in the open. By now, giving Freddie a hard time was just a reflexive thing, especially if she was feeling insecure. And considering he hadn't said anything about his own feelings, she was definitely feeling more insecure by the second. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea, she wondered. Why would Freddie like her, after all? After the way she treated him, it was a long shot.

"So?" she asked.

Freddie rubbed his neck nervously. Sam couldn't help noticing his biceps; they were definitely bigger than they used to be. The boy had been working out lately. Not that she had ended up falling for him because of his bulging biceps, but still, they were eye-catching. Sam realized she hadn't actually said anything besides 'so', but Freddie seemed to understand what she was asking: she wanted an answer. An answer to that kiss.

"Look," he said, "this is all kind of – this is a lot to take in."

"Okay."

"I just, uh... I just need..."

Sam waited patiently for an answer. At this rate, she might end up doing a Double Fist Dance on his face after all. Which was kind of a problem, since she had no idea how exactly a Double Fist Dance worked. Maybe it was just punching twice. She didn't really have to be that creative when it came to punching. It was pretty direct. Just as the tension was about to drive her insane, Freddie spoke up.

"This is just too weird for me right now. I have to go!"

"What?"

"See you later Sam, bye!"

Before Sam could respond, Freddie abruptly turned and raced through the classroom door, leaving her outside as the breeze picked up. That wasn't exactly the answer she had been expecting, although maybe it wasn't that surprising. She felt a flush of humiliation creep across her cheeks; she couldn't be sure, but it didn't look like her kiss had gone well. If Freddie's response was to run away, that couldn't be a good sign. Could it?

Maybe the one thing going in her favor was that no one had seen what she had done. Putting her feelings out there was embarrassing enough, especially after that weird reaction from Freddie, but it would have been even worse if she had done it inside the school with all her classmates looking. A strong breeze blew her hair into her face for a moment. She reached up to brush it aside, about to head into the school and prepare for an awkward night, when she froze in her tracks at the sight of someone staring at her through the window, slack-jawed and wide-eyed.

Sam groaned as she looked at Carly. Her friend's shock seemed to be changing into cold anger. She knew why Carly was angry, even if she _had_ been acting on her best friend's advice in the first place. Kissing Freddie Benson meant she could enjoy some drama with Carly, too.

_Wonderful_, she thought. It was going to be a long lock-in, for sure.

XX

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_That's it for chapter one! This is my first iCarly story, so I'll be interested in hearing what you guys think of it - reviews are appreciated. Hopefully chapter 2 will be up before too long. :)_


	2. Not So Smoothie

**Not So Smoothie**

XX

Carly couldn't believe what she had just seen. She had been starting to doubt herself after Sam kept denying she felt anything for Brad, but apparently Freddie's little mood-testing doodad worked after all. It just wasn't specific enough. Freddie had just come in from outside, passing through the classroom without even noticing she was there, and now Sam was looking at her from outside the window.

Even after seeing the kiss, Carly was having a hard time believing it. Sam, in love with Freddie? How was it even possible? And after she spent the evening trying to get Sam and Brad together, _this_ was how her best friend paid her back?

"You saw it?"

Sam opened the classroom doorway and stood there, looking nervous. Carly forced herself to nod in response. She knew she was angry, and while a part of her knew it wasn't very reasonable, she couldn't resist. "Freddie?" she said. "_That's_ who you're in love with?"

"I didn't say I was in love with him."

"Freddie's little app said so!"

"Ugh, not that stupid Pear Pad thing again!"

Carly gave her friend an icy glare, and Sam shrugged haplessly as the two of them stood there.

"I don't know," she finally said. "Maybe I am. I mean, I like him, and he was out there telling me to take a chance, so I took it."

"How could you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Kiss Freddie, when you know I like him!"

Sam's eyes widened, but Carly got the feeling she wasn't surprised so much as angry. "Are you serious?" she said, her voice rising. "What, because you went out with him for like five minutes, and then you broke up with him?"

"He broke up with _me_, Sam!"

"Okay, fine, but it's not like you said anything about liking him after that. Neither one of you guys have been acting like you like each other, and the only reason you went out with him in the first place was because he saved your life. I was just taking your advice, okay? You said the same thing Freddie did – you told me to make a move, so I did. I wouldn't have even done it if you two weren't bugging me about it the whole night!"

Carly opened her mouth to throw a retort at Sam, but she found herself at a loss for words. She couldn't help feeling angry, even though she knew her friend was making sense, as much as she hated to admit it. She and Freddie weren't going out, and she hadn't said anything about liking Freddie for a while. And yet seeing the two of them kiss had kindled something in her. Was she really jealous? All she knew was that things would be a lot simpler if Sam had decided to bury her love in ham after all.

"Ah, whatever," said Sam. "I don't have to deal with this. You had your chance, Carly. And besides, Freddie obviously doesn't like me anyway, so you can be happy I humiliated myself. Hooray for you!"

Sam had closed the classroom door behind her when she came in, but she opened it up again and stormed out of the building. Carly's anger changed to concern as she saw her friend leaving. "Sam!" she yelled as she stepped outside and followed her. "Come on, where are you going!"

"I don't know, away from here! Leave me alone!"

Sam jumped over a concrete divider and disappeared through some bushes. Carly considered following her, but she knew Sam could be pretty sneaky when she wanted to be. It was probably a waste of time to try to get her to come back, at least for now. That, and she didn't want to get in trouble for leaving the school during lock-in. She wondered how Sam had even gotten the classroom door open in the first place - not that it was very surprising. Sam could probably break out of a concrete box if she needed to.

Carly turned back into the classroom with a sigh, already starting to feel a little guilty about what had just happened. She still felt angry, but she wondered if she was being unreasonable. Maybe she should have calmed down a little and talked about it with Sam before the two of them blew up at each other. Now Sam was gone, and angry; hopefully she wouldn't be visiting Carly's apartment and trashing anything, although she didn't think there was any way Sam could be _that_ angry.

Several students had been watching the scene unfold, as well. Carly tried to ignore their whispers as she walked past them. Maybe she could find Freddie and see just how much he had really freaked out. Before she could leave the room, however, Principal Franklin appeared at the door that led to the hallway.

"Carly," he said. "I've been looking for you!"

"Oh?"

"Yes, I've been looking at the projects to see how everyone is coming along. Would you like to show me yours?"

Carly shrugged in resignation. She'd have to deal with whatever damage she caused between her and Sam later. Right now, she had to focus on her project. Leaving Gibby alone for too long with the Sensory Stimulus Chamber controls while Spencer was locked inside was probably a bad idea, anyway.

She led Principal Franklin through the hallway and into the room where the chamber stood, and found Freddie and Brad standing around with Gibby. Although the other two were looking at Spencer in the test chamber, Carly caught Freddie shooting her a glance as she entered the room. He definitely seemed a little freaked out. Poor Freddie.

"Hey," she said. Just her greeting was enough to make Freddie jump. "What's up?"

"Who, me? Not much. Nothing at all, just hanging with Brad here. Nothing else, nothing else at all is up. You?"

"You seem freaked out."

"Me? Freaked out? Good one, Carly!"

Freddie laughed nervously, which only got blank looks from everyone else. Judging by the way he was acting, Carly was pretty sure he hadn't noticed her by the window, and didn't know she had seen the kiss between him and Sam. Either way, they'd have to talk about it sooner or later.

"What is this?" asked Principal Franklin, pointing to Carly and Gibby's project.

"The Sensory Stimulus Chamber," said Gibby. "Where we stimulate the senses."

"And who is that inside?"

Spencer looked out from the chamber and mouthed something; the two-way communication was cut off, so they couldn't hear what he was saying. Principal Franklin peered past the glass as Carly gave it a knock, catching Spencer's attention "That's my brother, Spencer. He volunteered to be our test subject. He can't see us, but we can communicate with him using those microphones over on the table there. We subject to him various things, like stinky gas and mild electrocution."

Principal Franklin frowned. "Doesn't that violate all ethical principles of human testing?"

"Yeah, but it's Spencer."

"Ah. Very well. So give me a demonstration already!"

"Here you go," said Carly. "Press this button here."

"This one here?"

Principal Franklin pressed the button and looked eagerly at the Sensory Stimulus Chamber, which started flashing with a series of bright lights. Carly made some notes on clipboard as she watched the results; unsurprisingly, Spencer did not like the strobe effect at all.

"It's so bright!" he screamed. "Why? Why would you-"

Carly cut off the sound. "See," she told Principal Franklin, "total isolation."

"Very interesting indeed. Nice job, you two. Keep up the good work. I'm off to look at the other exhibits. Freddie, Brad, would you like to show me what you've been working on?"

"Sure," said Brad. "It's in the other room."

Carly and Gibby said goodbye to Principal Franklin as he left with Freddie and Brad to see their project and make the rounds through the rest of the school. Deciding Spencer had had enough, Carly shut off the strobe lights and opened up the back door of the chamber. The night was reaching its end, and they had completed just about all the tests they needed for the project. Hopefully her brother understood it was all in the name of science. She and Gibby helped Spencer get out of the back, as the strobe lights had temporarily confused him. "There you go," she said. "Right over here, on this chair."

"Wha – what's going on? Is this still part of the experiment?"

"No, Spencer. It's all over now. You're free."

"Oh thank God."

"Want some chowder?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"No, actual chowder this time."

"It's good stuff," said Gibby. "Brad helped us make it. It's almost as good as his tuna salad ball."

"That boy _does_ know how to make the food," agreed Carly.

Despite Gibby's assurance that the chowder was fine, Spencer hesitated for a moment before taking the bowl and spoon as he sat on a chair in the corner of the room. He brought it slowly to his mouth, and even twitched a little as he put a first bite into his mouth, as if expecting his body to jolt with electricity. Carly felt a little bad about electrocuting her brother. But then again, it wasn't like the chamber was locked, and he _had_ volunteered to be their guinea pig. And he had electrocuted her a few times with various failed art projects, anyway. Not to mention the fires. Oh, the fires...

"I hope you learned something from my _pain_," said Spencer, angrily shoveling spoonfuls of chowder into his mouth. "That stink was unbelievable. It was worse than Socko's dog when it had that intestinal-"

"Okay, ew! TMI, Spencer."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

Even Spencer bringing up Socko's stinky pet problems, however, was not enough to take Carly's mind off of Sam and Freddie. She could tell she was going to be thinking about it all night. She didn't feel all that angry at Sam anymore, and she regretted lashing out at her, but the kiss had taken her by surprise. She had almost forgotten about her feelings towards Freddie, and all of a sudden she was being forced to consider whether she still had them in the first place. Carly never knew lock-ins could be so stressful.

Then again, she probably had it easy compared to Spencer.

XX

Principal Franklin looked over the Pear Pad setup and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Fascinating," he said. "And it's completely accurate?"

"We think so," said Brad. "But you'd have to ask Freddie. He's the brains of the operation."

The two of them turned to Freddie, who was standing and staring blankly into the distance. It took him a moment to notice they were looking at him, and yet another moment to process what they had just said. "Oh, you're too kind," he laughed, slapping Brad nervously on the shoulder. "I'm no genius. I mean, okay, I'm kinda smart, yeah."

"How about a demonstration, Freddie?"

Freddie nodded to Principal Franklin, who motioned towards the chair. He was about to sit down when a flash of doubt crossed his mind. Sam's totally unexpected confession outside on the classroom steps had left him spooked, and he was still trying to shake it off. That kiss had hit him like a freight train. A warm, soft, harmless freight train that was still really weird. And not as bad as he had expected, either. Of course, he had kissed Sam before, so he already pretty much knew what it was like...

"Freddie?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and saw the two of them staring at him again.

"Freddie," said Principal Franklin, "you're looking a little strange. Are you feeling well?"

"Yes, thank you, Principal Franklin."

"Ready for the demonstration?"

Freddie stared at the empty chair where the test subject sat to have their mood evaluated. He wasn't sure what his mood was at the moment, other than 'weirded out'. He was still processing the fact that Sam had kissed in the first place, and it wasn't some kind of elaborate prank or joke. Unless the punchline was still to come. Maybe the mood app could help him out, and yet, somehow – somehow he was nervous. Did he want to test his emotions? What would it say?

And what if Sam walked in? He hadn't seen her since he ran off after her very physical confession. Maybe she had left – but maybe she hadn't. Something about the thought of being tested in front of everyone made him nervous. He didn't want his innermost feelings shining under the spotlight quite yet. Not when he had no idea what they even were. He gave Brad and Principal Franklin an uncomfortable grin as the two of them waited for him to get in the chair.

"I have a better idea," he said. "Why don't we try it on _you_, Principal Franklin?"

Principal Franklin gave the chair a questioning look, as if sizing it up, and finally gave a shrug and a laugh before sitting down in it. "Alright," he said. "Why not!"

"Okay, hold on. Just have a calibrate a few things. Hold your head still."

Freddie pressed a few buttons on his laptops, and the program went to work. A few moments passed as Principal Franklin sat still as a stone. The laptops chugged and churned, using the Pear Pad to scan his facial features and testing the data. Finally, the program came to a halt and displayed the results.

"What is my mood?" asked Principal Franklin.

Freddie and Brad peered at the results. "Calm and pleasantly intrigued," they said in unison.

"Ah. That sounds exactly right, and yet oddly specific. Excellent job, you two!"

Principal Franklin got up and left the classroom, on his way to visit other students' projects, while Freddie and Brad gave each other a high five. The night was drawing on, and Freddie couldn't help but yawn as he looked over his laptops. Brad mirrored him, holding a hand to his mouth. "You _do_ look a little weird," he observed. "Like you saw a ghost or something."

"Really? No idea why. I haven't seen any ghosts lately."

"By the way, where's Sam?"

"Sam? How should I know? Probably somewhere! Sam likes to be places."

Brad arched an eyebrow at Freddie's response before shrugging and heading over to the Wahoo soda machine for a drink. Freddie breathed a sigh of relief. He had no idea where Sam was, but he had the strange feeling that she might storm into the room at any moment, threatening to dump him off a bridge if he ever told _anyone_ about that kiss. On the other hand, maybe she'd just kiss him again.

Freddie wasn't sure which scenario made him more nervous.

XX

"What's up, Puckett? You're lookin' a little constipated there."

Sam raised an eyebrow at the strange question; but then, T-Bo was a strange guy. He was probably just noticing her bad mood. Even though she was at the Groovy Smoothie, she definitely wasn't feeling very groovy. At least it was better than being at school and having to deal with the mess she had just made with her friends.

"Just drama," she said as she sat down on a stool. She looked around the Groovy Smoothie; it was mostly empty at this time of night. She didn't know why T-Bo even bothered keeping it open this late, but she wasn't going to complain, that was for sure.

"Drama with that Freddie kid?"

Sam gave T-Bo a suspicious look, as if he had just read her mind.

"Um, yeah," she finally said. "How'd you know?"

"Oh, I've been waitin' for that. The way you're always punchin' him, it was just a matter of time. Also, anytime you got two girls and a guy, pretty soon there's gonna be drama. It's just how it works!"

"If you say so."

"So what can I get ya?"

"Strawberry Smoothie."

"You sure you don't wanna try my new Sauerkraut Smoothie?"

Sam repressed a gag, although if she was thirsty enough, even a Sauerkraut Smoothie would be an option. "Strawberry," she repeated, "and don't be skimpy on the strawberry chunks, either!"

"Yeah, yeah."

T-Bo turned around to start preparing the smoothie while Sam relaxed on her stool with a sigh, her back against the counter. For a split second, she almost expected Freddie to burst through the Groovy Smoothie's front door and tell her he was stupid for not immediately falling head over heels for her. Maybe he'd have some flowers in one hand. Maybe a big turkey leg in the other. But she knew that was ridiculous. Fred was probably off laughing with Carly about how silly it was for Sam to kiss him.

No, that was ridiculous, too. They wouldn't be laughing at her. She was in a bad mood, but she could still recognize that, at least. "Get a grip, Puckett," she told herself, groaning with exasperation.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, T-Bo. Just talking to myself. Mama wants a Strawberry Smoothie already!"

"It's comin', it's comin'. Chill out."

Sam drummed her fingers on the counter as she waited for her smoothie.

"So what happened, anyway?" asked T-Bo. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No."

T-Bo turned around for a moment and raised an eyebrow at her, holding the look until Sam was thoroughly weirded out. "Okay, okay," she said, finally caving in. "I kissed Freddie and Carly saw me and everything is all chizzed up now."

T-Bo nodded, looking strangely wise as he stroked his chin, before finally returning to the smoothie machine. Sam heard the whirring of the mixer as he went to work. The shop was eerily quiet save for the soft whirring of the machine – when the sound came to an halt and T-Bo turned back with her smoothie ready, he finally spoke.

"I don't think it's that big a deal," he said. "If you like Freddie, you were just bein' honest with the dude. Nothin' wrong with that. And Carly's your best friend. Why do you think you messed things up?"

"I don't know. She seemed mad at me. And Freddie pretty much ran away when I kissed him."

"First of all," said T-Bo, "Carly's a smart girl. She ain't gonna hold a grudge against you for feelin' a certain way, even if things are rough for a bit, so don't you worry about that. And as for Freddie, you just caught him by surprise. Did he actually _say_ he didn't like you back?"

Sam tried to remember. Now that she thought about it, he hadn't said anything _that_ direct. She shook her head.

"There you go," he said. "You don't know yet. Just gotta give the boy some time!"

Sam sipped her smoothie as she thought about his reassurances. "Maybe you got a point there, T-Bo."

"I always got a point. By the way, you want some pork cutlets?"

T-Bo reached for something under the counter and pulled up a skewer, on which a number of juicy pork cutlets were impaled. His constant attempts to sell random food could be annoying - but then again, sometimes he had good taste. Sam wondered if he had some kind of grill below the counter, although she'd eat the meat even it was cold and had been laying around. She reached into her pocket to fish out some spare change.

"I'll take two," she said, causing T-Bo pumped his free fist in triumph. "You know me too well."

XX

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_Hope you guys liked chapter two!_


	3. Reconsiderations

**Reconsiderations**

XX

It wasn't the alarm clock that woke Carly up, since she didn't set it on Sunday mornings; it was the sound of the television blaring downstairs. There was no way Spencer would be up this early, either. Carly sat up in her bed and frowned, wondering who it could be. Freddie didn't normally invite himself into her apartment to watch television and eat her food. Sam definitely did both of those things, but she didn't seem too happy when she ran off from the lock-in the other night. Whoever it was, there was only one way to find out.

Carly got out of bed and threw on some clothes, gave herself a check in the mirror, and tried to tame her wild case of bed hair. Before she went downstairs, she couldn't resist using the launching pad at the foot of her bed to send herself flying into the sheets. Her new room was definitely a lot of fun. After she had her fill of a few bed launches, she made her way downstairs to find Sam flipping channels on the couch. Mystery solved!

"What are you doing?" asked Carly.

"Oh, hey Carles," said Sam as she looked up from the couch. "Just watching some TV. By the way, you _really_ need to get some bacon or something for the fridge. All you have in there are these juice boxes," she said as she held up a box she was drinking from. "That's not breakfast."

Carly nodded vaguely and sat down on the couch beside her friend. She watched the television for a few moments; Sam stopped flipping to watch a show about bats on the Flying Mammal Channel. Carly had to wonder if there were even any other mammals that could fly in the first place. Flying Squirrels didn't actually fly, did they? Either way, she was getting distracted from what was important. "I thought you were angry at me last night," she said.

"Sorta, yeah. I thought _you_ were angry at _me_."

"Sort of," Carly admitted.

The two of them exchanged a look before looking back at the TV, distracted by a close-up of a particularly ugly bat face.

"Maybe I shouldn't have kissed Freddie when I knew how you felt," said Sam.

"No, it's not your fault. You did what I told you to do. I mean, I wish you had told me how you felt about Freddie before. We're best friends, you could have told me that."

"I didn't think you'd take me seriously! I punch the boy about ten times as much as I say anything nice to him."

_At least she was aware of that_, thought Carly. It was a little much sometimes.

"So do you still like him?" asked Sam.

Her friend was getting right to the point.

Carly didn't answer immediately, although it was a fair question, and she had been thinking about it ever since last night. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep, actually, and not just because of the lock-in. She had assumed she liked Freddie, even after they broke up. Even after Freddie said the only reason she liked him was because he saved her life. Was that it, really? Carly couldn't decide. It really depended on _how_ she liked him. She knew she cared about him, even loved him, but was she _in_ love with him? Or was it just a close friendship?

"I guess I can't decide," she finally admitted.

Sam nodded. "Don't they usually say that if you can't decide, it probably isn't love?"

_They did say that_, thought Carly. At least she had heard it on TV a few times, and maybe read it in a magazine. She wondered if it was really that simple. If that _was_ the case, then it seemed to imply she wasn't really in love with Freddie.

"Not that I'm trying to change your mind or anything," said Sam. "I mean, honestly, if you like him, that's fine. I don't want to end up not talking to you and messing up the show and our friendship and everything like we almost did before. Once was enough. So I'll back off if you want - because I know he loves you anyway."

"You don't have to back off," said Carly. "I mean, there's nothing wrong with telling people how you feel. It was a good thing you let it all out in the open last night."

Carly really believed what she said, and even though she still felt a tinge of jealousy at the thought of seeing that kiss last night, she definitely wasn't angry at Sam anymore. And despite the jealousy, she was happy to see her friend being honest with herself, even if she was being a little bit defeatist about it. It was weird how Sam could be outspoken in so many ways, so aggressive, but so different when it came to guys. Sometimes Sam had trouble being open when it came to her feelings, especially about boys. Even before last night, Carly knew Sam cared about Freddie as a friend, but she rarely admitted it. Maybe because it would make her too vulnerable.

Carly wondered if _she_ was the one having trouble being honest about how she felt towards Freddie. Was she just trying to hide her true feelings, too? She had been asking herself that question since last night. The more she thought about it, the more Carly began to doubt her feelings. There was love, but maybe not _that_ kind of love. After all, she had known how Freddie felt about her for years, and she hadn't returned those feelings until he saved her life. Both Freddie and Sam had made that point when he was going out with her. And it was a good point.

Of course, even if Carly didn't like Freddie that way, that didn't things any easier for Sam. What really mattered was how Freddie felt about the two of them, and as far as Carly knew, he still liked her. She knew he liked Sam as a friend – even though, just like Sam, he didn't announce it all that often. But after the way Sam treated him sometimes, it was hard to imagine Freddie feeling anything more. Unless the boy _really_ loved punches, noogies, wet fingers in the ear, and Indian rug burns. It was possible.

"So, uh – are we cool?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, we're cool."

"Awesome. That was easier than I thought."

Carly smiled. It was pretty easy. She supposed neither of them had made each other as upset as it seemed last night – they had both been taken off guard by that kiss, and didn't know how to deal with it. Carly wondered what Freddie thought about it. He had left abruptly last night, and definitely seemed a bit freaked out. Getting a kiss from Sam was about the most unexpected thing she had seen in a while, so she could understand. Hopefully she'd get the chance to talk to him soon.

The bat channel was on a commercial, and Carly could swear she heard a loud rumbling coming from her friend's stomach. "Hey," said Sam, "you wanna go get something for breakfast?"

"Like what?"

"Bacon. Duh."

"Maybe some foreign bacon," added Carly, knowing that was Sam's favorite.

"Oh man, definitely. Let's go to that foreign bacon store down the street!"

"What foreign bacon store?"

Sam paused for a moment in the middle of getting up from the couch. "Uh, I don't remember the name," she said. "But I swear it was a foreign bacon store. Or at least it had bacon that _seemed_ foreign. I don't know, okay!"

Carly got up from the couch, wondering if she should take a brief shower before the two of them headed out. Knowing Sam, she probably hadn't bothered to take one, since it was Sunday. The television was still playing the Flying Mammal Channel, and as they got up, a loud bat screech tore through the room. Probably a fake sound effect added to the bat show for dramatic effect. Carly heard a low groan coming from her brother's room, and Spencer tumbled out a moment later, bleary-eyed and confused.

"What was _that_?" he said. "Is there an animal in the apartment again?"

"No, just the television."

"Oh. Right."

Carly was amazed her brother had woken up, even from a sound that loud. Usually it was almost impossible to wake him up before he was ready to do it on his own. "Sam and I are going out for breakfast," she said. "We don't have much in the fridge."

"Alright. I'll hold down the fort."

Carly waved goodbye to her brother, who plopped down onto the couch and began watching the bat show as the two of them went out into her hallway. She looked at Freddie's door on the other side of the hall and wondered if he was still sleeping or not. Maybe he was awake, thinking about how the heck he was supposed to deal with Sam liking him. Carly couldn't help smiling at the thought.

Normally she'd consider knocking on the door and seeing if Freddie wanted to come out and eat with them, but she knew that might make things awkward for Sam. She supposed her friends needed to talk things out on their own time. For now, she and Sam could make sure things were okay between them while they enjoyed some breakfast – _or brunch_, thought Carly as she looked at her watch.

Whatever it was, it would have to come with bacon.

XX

Freddie knocked on the door, feeling a little nervous at the thought of who might answer. Hopefully it would be Carly, but seeing as Sam seemed to spend more time hanging out at Carly's apartment than her own place, he could be about to see her for the first time since last night. And that would be awkward. He had no idea what he'd say to her; would she be expecting an answer to her lip-locking lock-in confession? Would they just act like nothing happened? Neither Carly nor Sam answered his knock, though; after a moment of waiting in the hallway, the door opened to reveal Spencer.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I was hoping I could talk to Carly."

"She's not here. Went out to breaklunch with Sam."

"Breaklunch?" asked Freddie, looking down at his watch. "Do you mean, uh – brunch?"

"Yeah, that."

"Right. Well, I guess I'll have to stop by later."

"She might be back soon. You can come in and hang out if you want. I'm making some Toaster Doodles!"

Freddie shrugged and stepped inside, closing the door behind him as Spencer ran back to the kitchen. He supposed hanging out at Carly's place until she got back was better than being in his apartment, where his mother would most likely nag him about homework or something. Of course, Carly might come back with Sam, which would make it harder for Freddie to talk about things, but maybe it would be interesting to see how Sam would act. He had a vague suspicion that she might end up acting like she never kissed him at all, or just pass it off as a big joke somehow.

"What's on your mind?"

Spencer's voice came from the kitchen, along with the sound of clinking plates. Freddie leaned back on the couch and thought about whether or not he should tell Carly's brother about the events of last night.

"I bet I know," said Spencer, his voice a sort of sing-song taunt. "Thinkin' about Sam kissing you?"

Freddie arched an eyebrow as Spencer returned with two plates of Toaster Doodles in hand. "Uh, how did you know about that?" he asked.

"Everyone knows about that, dude. Also Carly told me last night. Also, I heard her talking about it with Sam this morning when I was trying to sleep and they were watching some bat show."

"Gotcha," said Freddie. He took one of the plates as the two of them began to eat on the couch. Maybe Spencer had some useful advice when it came to the ladies – he did seem like he was hitting on a new girl every week. "Yeah, I'm still kind of weirded out by it. And I'm trying to decide how I should deal with it. I mean, the last thing I expected was for Sam to like _me_ – I totally thought she was into Brad!"

"That kid _does_ know how to make some good fudge," said Spencer. "I can see why Sam would be into him. Except that she's not. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Can you make fudge?"

"No."

Spencer shook his head in disappointment. "Ladies like fudge-making skills, Freddie."

"True. Anyway, back to the point – what should I do about Sam liking me?"

"Depends," said Spencer.

Freddie waited for a response, but none came – Carly's older brother looked like he had been distracted by the television, as well as a bite of his Toaster Doodle. "Depends on what?" Freddie finally asked, hoping to nudge him on.

"Depends on if you like Sam."

"Oh."

Spencer's statement seemed obvious. But that was a hard one to answer. Or maybe not that hard, in a way. Sam could be a nightmare sometimes, but he _had_ grown to like her over time. He just wasn't sure quite what that meant. Was it possible he wanted something beyond friendship with her? Or, at least, was it possible he'd be willing to give it a go?

"How do I know if I like her?" he asked. Even before the question left his lips, he felt like it was a stupid thing to ask.

"No idea."

"What? You're a total ladies' man, Spencer. How could you not know?"

"Oh, Freddie," laughed Spencer as he finished his Toaster Doodle and gave Freddie a pat on the back, "so young, so much to learn. It's true, I'm a total ladies' man. But I'm not good with the long term stuff. You and Sam, or you and Carly – well, you guys have all known each other for years. That's different, see? Now how often do you see me with a girl for more than a week?"

"Not often," admitted Freddie. It was a little strange, now that he thought about it. Almost as if the old ones were pushed aside at regularly scheduled intervals to make room for new ones, who would then get involved in fresh comedic situations with Spencer.

"The Spence-man has a passion that doesn't give him time for long-term relationships."

"A passion? For what?"

"Art, duh."

"Oh, right." Freddie couldn't help grinning. "So basically you have no useful advice for me."

"Go with your heart, dude. Or, I don't know – why don't you try that mood thing on yourself? The thing you made for your school science project?"

The remnants of Freddie's Toaster Doodle fell from his hands as he stared wide-eyed at Spencer. That was it. That was it! Why hadn't he thought of that himself? He remembered he _had_ almost been tested the other day at the lock-in, but he had been hesitant about what might happen. Still a little frazzled by the unexpected kiss, maybe.

And yet, if he was being honest with himself, he still felt kind of nervous. The very fact that he was nervous was weird. _Wasn't it? _he asked himself. After all, what did he have to be nervous about? He had been trying to figure out his feelings ever since last night, so clearly he wanted to figure out how he felt. Here he was, wondering what to do, trying to sort through the convoluted forest of his teen angst, when he and Brad had just built a Pear Pad application that could answer his questions for him. It was almost too good to be true.

"Hold on!" he said as he leaped up from the couch. "It's in my apartment – I took it back from school after the lock-in. But I'll need you to test it on me. I'll be right back!"

Spencer shrugged and settled back on the couch as Freddie burst out the door, racing across the hall to his own apartment. He rushed inside, straight for his room, grabbed his Pear Pad, two laptops, and a metal pole in one big armful - almost dropping them, as it was a lot for one person to handle As he raced back out through the apartment, his mother looked up from some baking she had been doing in the kitchen, but Freddie had no time to stop.

"Fredward Benson, you need to-"

"Later mom!"

Freddie left his own apartment and raced back into Carly's, dumping his supplies on the couch where Spencer was still sitting. He shut the door and put the deadbolt in place – he didn't want his mother racing out across the hall and interrupting them. He turned back from the door to see Spencer poking and prodding at his stuff "Watch out," he said, slapping Spencer's hand away from the Pear Pad. "Don't mess up the calibrations!"

"Hey, you said you wanted me to help you!"

"Sorry, sorry. I'll just need you to initiate the scan after I sit down."

Freddie moved the metal pole that held the Pear Pad suspended into the air so it was facing the couch before setting up his laptops and connecting them up. After pressing a few buttons and making sure everything was good to go, he motioned for Spencer to take a spot in front of the laptops and sat down on the couch in Spencer's place. "Just press the 'enter' button when it says it's ready to go," he said.

Spencer stared at the laptops in confusion. "Why do you need two for this?" he asked.

"Two heads are better than one, right? Same with laptops."

"I can't argue with _that_ logic. Although, wait, wait – if you had two heads, which one would you use to eat? Would you have to divide up the food so neither head gets angry?"

"Just press enter, Spencer."

"Okay, fine. Here goes nothing!"

Spencer squinted his eyes and gritted his teeth, as if he was about to launch a rocket or something, and jabbed down at the button. As Freddie stared straight into the Pear Pad, trying to keep his head still, the laptops buzzed and whirred as they tried to decipher his emotions. They were working extra hard – maybe because it was harder to figure out what he was feeling compared to Sam. Spencer's suggestion that they try his mood app was a good one, as Freddie was happy to give it some more testing. More tests never hurt, after all.

"What's it say?" he asked as the laptops continued making strange noises.

"Um, where?"

"On the right one, below my face. What's it say?"

Spencer peered more closely at the laptop monitor.

"It says fire."

"What?"

It says – wait – no – FIRE! IT'S ON FIRE!"

Freddie leaped up from the couch as both laptops burst into flames. He managed to get the Pear Pad unplugged and moved its metal pole away from the sudden inferno, but the sight was still shocking. "What happened?" he yelled. "You only pressed one button! You didn't even touch the other laptop!"

"I don't know, I don't know!"

Freddie noticed a fire extinguisher on the wall and ran over to get it. Fortunately, one of the good things about having an mother who was obsessively worried about his safety was that he had been coached on various safety procedures more times than he could count. Using fire extinguishers was probably something he could do with his eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back. It was an all-purpose extinguisher, so it would work for putting out the electrical fire.

"No!" screamed Spencer. "Not that extinguisher!"

Spencer's warning came too late, as Freddie pressed down the handle and let out a stream of fire. He screamed and dropping the cylinder to the ground. "Oh my lord! Why is it shooting out more fire!"

"I modified it, but I forgot to throw it away!"

"_We're going to die!_"

Spencer grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch in order to drape it over the fire, but before he could spread it out, the apartment door slammed open with a loud bang and Carly burst in with another fire extinguisher in her hands, rushing over to the two burning laptops on the coffee table and blanketing them in a white cloud of chemical spray. She stepped back as the last flickers of orange flame disappeared. The fire was out.

Spencer and Freddie stared at the blackened remains of the laptops, then at Carly.

"I heard you guys screaming when I was coming back," she said. "Figured it was a fire."

Spencer frowned. "Am I _that_ predictable?"

"Yes, yes you are."

Freddie slumped back down on the couch with a sigh, edging the coffee table farther away with his foot, since he still was still a little spooked by his laptops' spontaneous combustion. Maybe they had some kind of pre-existing problem, but coupled with all the stories Carly had told him about Spencer's fire hazards, he began to think Carly's brother was cursed. And now there was no way he'd be able to figure out how he felt about Sam, either. So much for his mood app coming to the rescue.

"Hey," said Spencer, giving Freddie a pat on the back as if he knew what he was thinking, "it's not that big a deal."

"Not a big deal? That's two laptops, wiped out!"

"Well, okay, yeah, besides the destruction of your personal property. I meant about your little mood testing thing. Honestly, I don't think technology can tell you how you feel better than _you_ can. You just have to figure it out for yourself, you know?"

Freddie nodded. He supposed Spencer had a point. The main reason he knew it worked with Sam was because she basically confirmed it by kissing him, which told him a lot more than a Pear Pad could. Although it had worked pretty well on Principal Franklin, too. But when it came down to it, he would have to figure his own feelings out.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Carly. "Sam?"

Freddie arched an eyebrow.

"Hey," laughed Spencer, "I have an idea. I'm gonna go buy us a new coffee table, and you two can talk."

"Okay," Freddie and Carly said simultaneously.

The two of them sat down on the couch and watched quietly while Spencer grabbed a garbage bag. He shoveled the remains of the laptops into it after making sure they were completely put out, and gave them a nod before heading out of the apartment. Freddie stared at the black stain on the coffee table. At least his Pear Pad was still alive. "So Sam told you?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Sort of. I saw you guys kissing outside last night."

"Oh. Where is Sam, anyway?"

"We went out to eat, and she went back home. I think she's sort of avoiding you after admitting her feelings."

"Gotcha. So, uh – what do you think about it?"

Carly shrugged noncommittally as she sat back on the couch and stared at the blank television. "Does it matter what I think about it?" she asked. "I mean, I was surprised. What do _you_ think about it?"

Freddie had been thinking about it nonstop since it happened. But it was still hard to put into words.

"Pretty weird," he finally said.

"Do you like her back?"

"You know I like you, Carly. I always have."

"You always say that, Freddie, but do you really? I mean, you don't bring it up nearly as much as you used to. Don't get me wrong, I'm not insulted or anything, it's just something I've noticed."

Freddie hadn't realized that – what was more, he was a little embarrassed about the way Carly pointed it out, since it suggested that he had worn his love for Carly on his sleeve, especially when they were younger. Maybe if he could look into the past and see how he acted back then, he'd think young Freddie was totally foolish. Then again, at least young Freddie was being honest. The problem was whether he was _still_ being honest. The more he thought about it, the more unsure he became.

"Well, what about you?" he asked. "We never really talked about us, after I saved your life and we went out together. Do you still feel the same way you did then?"

Carly picked his Pear Pad off the metal rod and looked over it for a moment before answering. Freddie wondered if she was thinking about testing his mood app on herself – if she was as confused as he was – but he got the feeling she was just toying with it while she mulled over the question. And if she wanted to use the mood app, she was about five minutes too late.

"I like you," she finally said. "But maybe you and Sam were right about what you said, about me feeling that way because you saved my life. You shouldn't be asking me what I think anyway, Freddie. You have to make a choice yourself. And you have to give her credit for being honest – I've never seen her do something that forward with a guy before. Maybe you should give Sam a chance."

Freddie nodded slowly as he considered Carly's advice. He was surprised they hadn't been interrupted by his mother, bursting in after catching a faint whiff of smoke. Apparently she wasn't on top of her game. Still, he knew he'd have to get back and find out whatever she had wanted to say to him before he rushed past her earlier. That, and whatever she had been baking smelled really good...

He was distracting himself. _Give Sam a chance_, Carly had said.

The very thought of them together was a bit strange to him, after all the abuse she had put him through over the years, but Sam had been lightening up lately. And surprisingly enough, while the image was strange, it wasn't gross. It wasn't creepy or laughable, either; just unusual.

Freddie and Sam, together.

Giving her a chance _was_ an option. It wasn't like they had to get married as soon as they went out on a date, after all. Sam had taken a shot when she kissed him. Maybe the best thing he could do now was to take his own shot, and see how else she could surprise him.

XX

* * *

_Hope you guys liked this chapter - let me know what you thought! I meant to post this up yesterday, but for some reason 's document uploading was not working correctly._


	4. Toe Doodles and Pool Noodles

**Toe Doodles and Pool Noodles**

XX

A monotonous drone coming from the front of the classroom told Carly that Mrs. Kowalski was still going on about their biology homework for the week. Carly, of course, had already done hers. She was on the verge of falling asleep. Even though she knew she should be paying more attention, she had things on her mind. She and her friends were going to be doing an iCarly web show later that afternoon, but other things were taking up more of her attention. Things like Sam and Freddie.

Monday had come and gone, and the school week was stretching on with a definite awkward vibe coming from Sam and Freddie. They were talking again, hanging around each other, but they seemed stiff and nervous to Carly. As far as she knew, neither one of them had really brought up the subject of Sam's kiss ever since last weekend, even though Carly had told both of them it would be a good idea to talk about it. At this point, she was feeling a combination of excitement and irritation at the way they were acting. Could they _really_ just ignore what had happened and pretend like nothing was different? Everything was different! How could they not see that?

"But in some cases, the females of the species are the ones who must compete for..."

Carly knew the teacher was getting into some kind of actual lesson, but she still couldn't pay attention. She was irritated as the way Sam and Freddie tiptoed around each other, but she was excited at the thought of what might happen if they stopped their little dance and decided to give it a chance. Although it was really Freddie's call. Sam had made her feelings clear, even if she was trying to act like it was no big deal and she had forgotten about it. Everything was up to Freddie now.

Carly had thought about her own feelings for Freddie over the last few days. While she cared about him a lot, she had decided that her jealousy towards Sam after seeing that kiss at the lock-in was not due to love. It was just that she was so used to Freddie liking her – not anyone else. Almost as if she could enjoy the idea that someone felt that strongly about her without thinking about how she felt in return. It wasn't that she had ever wanted to lead Freddie on, but there was something about it that boosted her self-confidence.

But it wouldn't be fair to let her possessiveness prevent Sam and Freddie from getting together, and so she was excited about the idea. Freddie, just like Brad, would be good for Sam: he wasn't a juvenile delinquent, or a perv like that Jonah jerk she dated. And even though Sam treated him badly sometimes, Carly knew he cared about her. _Yes_, she thought with a smile. _He'd be good for her, and she'd... well, hopefully she'd mellow out with him._

"That's enough daydreaming, Miss Shay."

Carly jerked upright, feeling a blush spread across her cheeks as Mrs. Kowalski's hard glare mixed with the soft laughter of her fellow students. Beside her, Sam and Freddie raised an eyebrow at her, then at each other, before abruptly looking back down at their desks, as if they didn't want anyone to see them sharing amusement. Carly couldn't help rolling her eyes at the sight. They were definitely trying to avoid a certain something between each other.

"Sometimes," said their teacher, "the stallion will nip or bite at the mare in order to encourage her to approach..."

Carly realized the teacher was talking about animal courtship behaviors. She hadn't been paying much attention at all, apparently. The subject of horses piqued her curiosity, and she raised her hand into the air. Mrs. Kowalski paused in the middle of her lecture and lowered her head so that her eyes peered over her glasses. She didn't look happy about being interrupted, but Carly didn't care. Mrs. Kowalski hated questions, even though it was her job to answer them.

"What is it, Miss Shay?"

"About the horses – I was wondering, does the female ever nip and bite?"

Mrs. Kowalski shook her head. "I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I guess I was wondering, does their courtship ritual still continue even if the female horse punches the male horse all the time, and is kind of mean to him?"

"Horses don't have hands to punch with, Carly."

More amused laughter rose up from the class, and Carly caught several people – along with Sam and Freddie – giving her weird looks. She decided she should have waited a moment before asking a question so she could think about whether it actually made sense. Today was an embarrassing day for biology, all right.

"No more silly questions, please," said Mrs. Kowalski. "Now, back to the lesson-"

_Attention, students!_

The class looked up at the loudspeaker in the corner of the classroom. Principal Franklin's voice boomed out over their heads, and Mrs. Kowalski looked increasingly infuriated at being interrupted.

_ Carly and Gibby, please report to the principal's office immediately!_

Carly and Gibby exchanged looks from across the classroom, hesitating a moment before getting up. The classroom began whispering among themselves, and Carly decided she was getting tired of all the attention. She didn't think she was in any trouble, unless Sam had ended up framing her for something, but Sam hadn't done that in a while. She and Gibby edged past Mrs. Kowalski's desk on their way to the door, trying to avoid her frosty gaze.

"Always causing trouble, Carly."

Carly turned around and stuck her tongue out at Sam's impudent question.

"Sam Puckett," said Mrs. Kowalski, "see me after class!"

"Oh man!"

Carly was too nervous about why Principal Franklin wanted to see her to bother being amused at Sam getting herself in trouble. She knew she was not the type to get in any trouble unless she got involved in something with Sam, which she hadn't done lately, so she had no reason to worry; but still, she didn't like even the thought of being in trouble.

Gibby walked beside her down the hallway after they left the classroom. "So what'd you do to get in trouble?" he asked.

"Nothing! What did _you_ do to get in trouble?"

"I dunno. I can't remember doing anything lately that Principal Franklin saw. What's up with everybody always blaming Gibby, huh?"

Carly sighed as the two of them got to the principal's office. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer; that was a little strange. After another knock got no response, she decided to open the door and peek inside. The lights were off. She and Gibby walked inside as she felt around for a light switch, but there wasn't any.

"Principal Franklin?" she called out, getting more confused by the second.

The two of them jumped in fright as the office door suddenly closed, shrouding them in darkness. Carly couldn't be sure, but she thought she had caught a glimpse of someone outside closing the door on them; she fumbled for the light switch and bumped into Gibby in the darkness as the two of them looked around. As she tried to walk further, she realized she was enclosed in a very small space. "What's going on?" she asked nervously.

"I dunno, but this is weird!"

"Carly Shay! Attention, Carly Shay!"

Carly stopped at the sound of the voice. It was Spencer's.

"Spencer?" she cried. "What are you doing here?"

"It's time for... _revenge_! Hahahaha!"

Above them, a light switched on. Now that they could see, Carly and Gibby whirled around to find themselves in a small box. Carly recognized it in an instant. It was the inside of the Sensory Deprivation Chamber. She couldn't see through the one-way mirror, but she knew Spencer was outside, talking to them through a microphone. She and Gibby had left the chamber at school for a while, since it was too unwieldy to bring home easily. Now she realized where it had gone.

"Don't you dare, Spencer!"

"Oh, I dare!" her brother cackled. "Me and Principal Franklin positioned your little sensawhatchamacallit chamber in his office so the back door was lined up with his office door. You guys walked right into our trap! Principal Franklin was waiting outside in the hallway until you guys went in, and then he closed the door on you, just like that! _Boom_!"

"Hello, Carly!" spoke Principal Franklin from outside in the hallway.

"Hey, Principal Franklin," said Gibby. "What's up?"

"Just helping Carly's brother get his revenge."

"Cool."

Carly frowned and braced herself for whatever was coming. This was _so_ not cool. But then again, she knew she probably deserved it after all her experiments on Spencer.

It only took a moment to find out what he had planned for her. "Release the stink!" he yelled maniacally from inside the office. Carly wondered who he was talking to besides himself, since Principal Franklin was outside and couldn't release anything. She held her nose in anticipation, and before she knew it, a greenish vapor started pouring from the sides of the chamber. She and Gibby began to writhe as the stinky smell permeated them.

"Aaagh!" screamed Gibby. "I didn't know karma could smell so horrible!"

Carly couldn't have said it better herself. But at least she got to skip biology.

XX

The web show was in full swing, and Sam was enjoying a moment of rest while she stood with Carly, watching a user-submitted video. Seeing as she and Carly jumped and flailed around for most of the show, she always ended up a little exhausted by the time it wrapped up. The video – as usual – was kind of bizarre. One of their fans was apparently eager to share his talent for painting with his feet, as as she watched, he laughed maniacally while painting on a canvas with two brushes held in his toes.

"Uh, hey Carly," she whispered as the video played.

"Yeah?"

"You know you kind of smell weird."

"Yes, I know that I smell weird."

Sam shrugged at Carly's snippy response. She knew Spencer and Principal Franklin had played some kind of prank on her friend in school earlier, but Carly hadn't been willing to give out any details. It probably had something to do with that. Sam hoped it wouldn't send Spencer back into his uncontrollable pranking addiction. That had been a little out of control.

She continued watching their crazed fan painting with his toes as the video went on. It wasn't a very good painting, really. Even worse than Carly's bunny drawing. Sam couldn't remember why they had decided to show this video in the first place. She gave Carly an amused glance before looking back at Freddie, who was standing next to his little techy equipment cart with Brad and Gibby loitering around nearby. She and Freddie smiled at each other before Sam felt an unexpected flash of nervousness. She looked back quickly to the video, but it was already over, forcing her to look awkwardly back at Freddie as he approached them with his video camera.

"Okay," said Carly. "So that's Billy from New Hampshire with his amazing toe-painting talent."

Sam gave a thumbs up to the camera. "Thanks, Billy," she said. "That was a beautiful – uh, well, whatever it was you were painting. And now for a brand new segment we like to call 'Humanback Pool Noodle Death Match!' Enjoy!"

"Spencer!" screamed Carly. "Get up here!"

Sam motioned for Gibby to join them. Gibby groaned, grabbing a pair of foam pool noodles from the corner of the room before reluctantly walking out into view of Freddie's camera and handing them to Carly and Sam. Before long, the sound of footsteps grew louder, and Spencer burst through the door. "What's up?" he asked.

"We're doing Humanback Pool Noodle Death Match," said Carly. "You were supposed to be up here already!"

"Oh, right, sorry. Do I have to do this?"

"Yes!"

"What about Brad? Make him do it!"

Carly shook her head emphatically. It would be funnier if she rode on Spencer's back, since he would be more easily embarrassed; and what was more, she thought there was something a little awkward about riding on Brad's back, although she couldn't put her finger on what it was. Either way, the fans liked seeing Spencer uncomfortable. "On the floor!" she commanded.

"Ugh, fine."

Spencer got down on all fours along with Gibby. Carly and Sam threw a pair of saddles on their backs and clambered on, holding their pool noodles at the ready as they lightly kicked their steeds. Spencer and Gibby grumbled, turning to face each other on their hands and knees. "Don't worry," said Carly as she stared into Freddie's camera. "This isn't a real death match, unless Sam is highly allergic to pool noodles!"

"You wish," said Sam. "Get ready for a foamy beat down!"

Freddie trained his camera on the two of them. "One," he said. "Two... Three... Fight!"

Sam urged Gibby forward, although – seeing as he wasn't that much bigger than her – it had to be uncomfortable for him. Still, Gibby was a team player, and everyone had to make sacrifices for the web show. Gibby lurched towards Spencer, and the two of them stopped as Carly and Sam leaned forward to attack each other. Sam was surprised to miss her first swing, and Carly hit her full in the face with her pool noodle. It was bright red - and surprisingly painful for something made entirely out of plastic foam. "You'll pay for that, Shay!" she screamed.

"Try me, Puckett!"

Sam attacked with a barrage of noodle swings, forcing Carly to lean back. Spencer got the cue and tried to shuffle backwards on all fours, but Sam knocked her heels against Gibby's sides to make him go faster. "Come on!" she said. "She's getting away!"

"This is so humiliating!" said Gibby.

"Just hold on," said Spencer. "Soon it'll all be over!"

Sure enough, it didn't take long for their match to end. Carly had gotten a lucky first shot, but no one could oppose Sam with a weapon in her hand, even if it was a limp and ineffective pool noodle. She got in a good strike, knocking Carly from her saddle and onto the floor. Both Freddie and Brad gave out little whoops of surprise as they watched the so-called death match. Sam raised her pool noodle up into the air and let out a yell of victory. "I told you, Shay!" she yelled. "I told you no one could defeat me!"

"No you didn't!"

"Well I was thinking it!"

"Please," said Gibby. "My back, it hurts!"

"Alright already, hold your horses."

Sam got off Gibby and pulled the saddle from his back, letting him sink to the ground with a groan. _What a whiner_, she thought. She and Carly regrouped, joining each other in front of the camera to speak to their audience. The web show was coming to an end.

"That's it for today's show," said Carly, "but join us next time for more hijinks!"

Sam nodded in agreement. "And maybe toe painting," she added. "But no promises!"

The two of them began to twirl around and do their customary dorky dances as Freddie, still pointing the camera at them, made his way back the laptop on his tech cart and pressed a few buttons. "Okay, we're out."

Sam gave Carly a high five while Gibby and Spencer held their aching backs, walking gingerly around as they tried to get used to standing again. Sam rolled her eyes; they were such drama queens. Now that the show was over, she was looking forward to a little snack. Sure enough, Brad had brought some fudge for everybody, as usual. He had placed the plastic container of fudge beside Freddie's laptop on the tech cart. Sam sidled awkwardly up to Freddie as she reached for the fudge.

"Good show, Sam."

"Thanks, Fredward," said Sam before she stuffed a big chunk of fudge into her mouth to avoid further conversation. It was great fudge. Even though she was using it to try to avoid dealing with her feelings by masking them with fudgy goodness instead.

"Am I going to have to do stuff like that?" asked Brad.

"What?" said Carly. "Like being a human horse while we fight with pool noodles?"

"Yeah."

"Only if you want to."

"You'll have to do it," said Gibby as he joined the group. "It's torture, man. But the audience is always right."

"Isn't it the customer that's always right?"

"Customer, audience, I dunno. Man, I'm hot."

Gibby ripped his shirt off in a stunningly fluid motion. Sam had to give the boy credit; she actually hadn't seen him take his shirt off lately, but years of practice had made him skilled at quick shirt removal. Maybe they'd have to make some kind of segment about that; force Gibby to wear a bunch of shirts on top of each other and take them off under a time limit. _Yeah_, she thought. _ That'd be awesome._

"Let's go downstairs," said Carly. "I _would_ like something to drink drink after that jumping around."

Everyone began to make their way downstairs. Sam made for the door, creating an awkward moment when she and Freddie reached it at the same time. She stepped back for a moment, ready to let Freddie through first, but then wondered if being really nice would come off as too weird. Freddie was just about to step back himself, but she leaped forward and muscled through, racing downstairs to join Carly and the others.

"What's in the fridge?" asked Gibby as they walked down the stairs.

"We have some cream soda."

"You always have cream soda," Sam pointed out as they reached the living room. Carly and Gibby went for the fridge, while Brad and Freddie sat down on the couch and began talking about some kind of technical stuff. Sam joined her friends at the fridge and grabbed a soda for herself before returning to the living room. She was about to grab a seat on the couch beside Freddie, but she hesitated for a moment.

Before she could make a decision, Gibby came out of nowhere and landed in the spot with a shirtless _plop_. "Let's watch TV," he said.

"Uh, you know what?" said Sam. "I think I'm just going to go home."

Carly frowned at her friend's announcement. "Really?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little tired."

"Alright. Well, see you later, I guess."

Spencer, Brad, and Gibby gave her a wave as she made her way towards the door. Before she could open it, however, she remembered she had not said goodbye to Freddie. She turned awkwardly. Apparently Freddie had been wondering why she hadn't said goodbye too, as he was staring at her with a weird expression.

"Bye, Sam. See you in school, I guess."

"Yeah. Bye, Freddie."

Sam opened the door and left the apartment.

She stood in the hallway for a moment, wondering what she was doing. She never left Carly's place so early. Of course, she didn't want to go back home. What would she do? Hang out with her mother and listen to her complain about past boyfriends, or – just as likely – meet her new boyfriend of the week?

The sound of laughter came from inside Carly's apartment. For just a moment, Sam considered coming back in, telling them she had changed her mind. But no. It was too late now. She went down the apartment building's stairway with a sigh, trudging slowly on each step. She knew the real reason she was leaving so early. It was the same reason the last few days had been so awkward. The same reason she was suddenly so nervous and stiff around Freddie, even though they had known each other for years.

It was that stupid kiss.

Ever since the night at the lock-in, things had been totally different. It wasn't surprising, of course. It wasn't like she could kiss Freddie Benson after years of giving him a hard time and not expect anything to be different. What was frustrating was how she felt like the two of them were in limbo now. She remembered when the two of them first started hanging out because of the show, because of their mutual friendship with Carly. She didn't think she had ever really hated Freddie, although she had definitely found him annoying as chiz back then. But that had changed, big time.

Although he was still annoying sometimes. Like the way he'd left her up in the air after that kiss.

She had expected some kind of answer, either a yes or no – or even a kiss back from him, ideally – but just like her, he had been avoiding the whole thing. She knew why _she_ was avoiding talking about had happened. She was scared of being rejected. Maybe he was just avoiding it because he was still weirded out by his former enemy playing tonsil hockey with him. They had talked together a handful of times after the lock-in, but they hadn't brought up what happened.

Or maybe Freddie was too nice to reject her.

Sam reached the foot of the stairs as it opened into the apartment building's lobby. She looked over to the lobby desk where Lewbert should have been; strangely enough, she almost wished he was there. He was crazy, but he could definitely be kind of funny sometimes. Across from the desk was the building's main entrance. Beyond the glass doors, she could see it was already getting dark outside. She could walk home, or she could call her mom if she wanted a ride. It was hard to decide. Finally, she decided she'd walk. Just as she was about leave the building, Sam heard the ding of the lobby's elevator doors. She looked back.

It was Freddie.

"Hey," he said. "Glad I caught you."

For some reason, Sam felt like a deer caught in a car's headlights. Freddie left the elevator and came closer.

"What's up, Fredward?"

Sam tried to sound casual, but it definitely came out very dorky. She felt irritated that things with Freddie had to be so weird now, all because of a few stupid seconds. More than that, though, she couldn't help wondering why Freddie had left Carly's apartment to catch her before she left.

"Is it just me, or have things been kind of awkward between us?"

So Freddie noticed it too. Sam couldn't help letting out a little laugh.

"Yeah, sorta," she admitted.

"Look, Sam, I just – I don't things to be weird between us, okay? I'm glad you kissed me at that lock-in, because you were being honest. With me, and with yourself. There's nothing wrong with that, and it shouldn't mess things up between us. I like being friends with you. Okay?"

Sam nodded slowly.

"Okay."

He liked being _friends_ with her. Maybe he wasn't coming right out and saying it, but that was about as clear as it got. If he wanted to be anything more than friends, he wouldn't have-

"Oh, by the way," said Freddie. "Would you like to go on a date?"

Sam had been about to turn around and head for the doors, but she froze in place as she heard his question.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I think it could be fun, don't you?"

Sam nodded yet again, this time more slowly than before. "You want to be friends with me, but you also want to go out on a date with me?" she finally asked.

"Yup. I can do both. Friday okay?"

"Definitely."

Freddie gave Sam a smile before heading back to the elevator. She couldn't help staring at him for a moment, but she managed to flash him a smile in return just before the doors closed. It took another moment for what Freddie had said to really sink in. They were going on a date. Friday. Putting herself out there at the lock-in hadn't been a mistake, after all.

She had gotten what she wanted!

The way he had said he wanted to be friends with her, like he was telling her he wasn't interested – Sam began to think maybe he had been pulling her leg a little. Just teasing before he asked her out. As she left the apartment building, trying as hard as she could not to look like a total idiot and start skipping through the street, she decided that _had_ to be it. She couldn't be sure, but she could have sworn she saw Freddie give a little smirk in the elevator, too. _That jerk_, she thought with a smile. When they went on their date, she'd have to give him a punch for toying with her like that.

Maybe just a foam pool noodle-level punch, though.

XX

* * *

_Hope you guys liked this chapter! There will be two or three more chapters after this, and of course you'll get to see how Sam and Freddie's first date goes._


	5. The Spaghetti and the Taco

**The Spaghetti and the Taco**

XX

Tonight was the night. Another hour, and she'd totally be dating that dork.

Sam was a little early, surprisingly; she couldn't even remember the last time she had been early to anything that wasn't food-related. As a matter a fact, she was almost as excited as she had been that time she found the website about the international world records for pork chop sizes. _That was a great day_, she remembered with a smile. But hopefully tonight would be cool, too. Sam opened Carly's door; she had stopped bothering to knock long ago. Her best friend was inside, sitting on the couch.

"Hey," said Carly. "You're here early."

"A little bit."

"So why aren't you just knocking on Freddie's door?"

"Oh, he said he didn't want his mom to find out what was going on. Something about a horrible disaster if she found out, I dunno."

"Hmm," pondered Carly. "That _is_ a good point."

"Hey, date girl!" shouted Spencer from the kitchen. A moment later, and he leaped excitedly into the living room. "Going out with Freddie tonight, I heard?"

"Yeah, it's really no big deal."

"No big deal? This is _huge_! One wrong move and friendship _over_!"

Sam stared blankly at Spencer, while Carly gave her brother an angry glare.

"Oh, right," said Spencer, laughing nervously. "Sorry, I got a little too excited. Just go out and have fun, that's all. It's all good!"

Carly rolled her eyes and got up from the couch, motioning for Sam to join her. Sam tagged along as they walked up the stairs, giving Spencer a shrug as they left. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Away from Spencer so he doesn't accidentally freak you out. Plus, we have to get ready for your date!"

Sam arched an eyebrow as the two of them went into Carly's room. What Carly meant by 'getting ready for her date' was a mystery to her, as she was kind of expecting her date to be pretty much like hanging out, but maybe with a kiss at the end – at least if she worked up the nerve to repeat what she had done at the lock-in.

As soon as she came through the door, Sam couldn't resist using Carly's little launch pad to leap into her bed. She was definitely a little jealous of Carly's room sometimes. Her own room wasn't much to write home about, and that wasn't even considering the huge mess that was usually cluttering up the place. The mess in her room was her fault, but the mess in the rest of the house was usually thanks to her mother. That was, in part, why she didn't want Freddie to pick her up at her place. She was a little worried about what he might think when he saw how she and her mother lived.

After a few more launches into the bed, Sam got up and looked over to Carly, who was rummaging around in the closet. It didn't take long to figure out what Carly had meant by 'getting ready.' Sam frowned at as she watched her best friend dig a nice-looking dress out of the closet. Nice for Carly, anyway. But not something she'd be caught dead wearing.

"Here!" said Carly. "How about this!"

"Um, Carles, that's cool and all, but you'd have to wrestle me to the ground to get that thing on me."

"What do you mean? It's pretty!"

"Yeah, it's pretty, but it's just too much."

Carly eyed Sam's outfit, looking a little confused. Sam had to admit that she was plainly dressed for a date, but that was part of the plan. "Look," she said, "I don't want to get all lovey-dovey around Freddie and freak him out, right? You saw how he first reacted to that kiss. He asked me out, but I want it to be cool. No big deal, you know?"

Carly looked like she was about to object for a moment, but she finally nodded. "I guess so," she said. "Maybe I'm just kind of excited about it."

"Really? So you're okay with this?"

"Yeah," said Carly. She walked over and joined Sam as the two of them sat on the bed. "I've had time to think about it, and I think you and Freddie would be really good together. And it's cool to see you finally opening up about your feelings a little. I just want you to be happy, you know?"

Sam smiled. She was glad to hear it; although she was excited about her date with Freddie, she had also been worried about what Carly might feel about it. She didn't want to take one friendship to the next level while throwing a monkey wrench in another, after all. It was good to know things would be okay between the two of them no matter what happened. "Aw, come here," said Sam as she pulled Carly into a hug.

The two of them embraced for a moment, and when they parted, Carly glanced over to her dresser. "Maybe we can choose some lipstick for you?" she suggested. "Or some eye shadow! It could be fun!"

"No!"

"Oh, fine," she said, sticking her tongue out. "Where are you guys going, anyway? I mean, if Freddie's taking you somewhere pricey, you might have to wear something nice. And you have money, right?"

"Oh, I forgot about money, actually. Spot me twenty bucks?"

Carly groaned, but Sam gave her a pleading look until she finally got up, grabbed her wallet from the desk, and fished a few bills out. Sam took them eagerly. She'd pay her friend back sooner or later - probably. "I don't know where we're going," she admitted. "Freddie said something about a movie, though. And I figure we'll have to eat sometime."

"Right."

The two of them settled down into a couple of bean bag chairs in the middle of Carly's room. Sam thought about where they'd be going; it was an interesting question. Maybe Freddie would show up all decked out in a suit and tie and end up taking her somewhere ridiculous. To be honest, she hadn't been on many dates before, and the whole dating protocol was still a little unclear to her. Not to mention that even if she had been nursing a huge crush on Freddie for a while now, the boy was still a total dork, so maybe he'd overdo it. At least if he was going all-out on this date, she could probably convince him to pay for stuff if Carly's twenty bucks wasn't enough.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Carly.

"The date! Duh."

"Hmm. So when did you figure out you liked Freddie, anyway?"

It was a good question, and Sam knew the answer immediately.

"After that speed dating thing we did to get you a date to that dance a while ago."

Carly looked confused. "Why then?"

"Well, I was in a bad mood after I didn't have anybody to go with to the girl's choice dance. I actually went to Gibby's house and tried to force him to come with me, but he was with that hot girlfriend he has, Tasha or whatever."

"Really? You never told me that."

"Yeah, it was nuts. I remember his mom was making them something with strawberries. I thought I was hallucinating for a minute. But anyway, I ended up going back to the Groovy Smoothie and saw you and Freddie dancing together – I guess your dates were gone or something. But for some reason it made me feel weird. I left without saying anything to you guys. At first I thought I was just annoyed at feeling left out or something, after you guys were having fun together and I didn't even go to the dance, but I realized it was definitely jealousy. I tried to pretend it wasn't, but there was no way I could ignore it after that. I definitely had the hots for the Fredster."

"Weird," said Carly, staring off into space for a moment. "I mean, uh, not weird in a bad way, but-"

"No, no, I get it. Believe me, I was weirded out, too."

The two of them sat quietly, reminiscing over the strange turns their little trio had taken, when they heard the doorbell ringing downstairs. Sam got up in a flash, feeling a surge of nervous energy coming over her. "Oh man," she said, "that's probably Freddie. And I'm going on a date with him. Oh man!"

"Chill out, Sam! You'll have fun!"

"Saaaam!" screamed Spencer from downstairs. "Your date's here!"

Sam joined Carly as they left her bedroom; although Sam was about to race downstairs, she slowed herself down and took the steps as calmly as possible, trying to look casual. Fortunately, when she reached the living room, Freddie was not wearing something ridiculously formal that made her look like a slob in comparison. Just one of his usual button-down shirts. Spencer gave the two of them a look and held his hands up to his cheeks making a weird gesture. "Oooh," he said, "young love!"

"Can it, Spencer!" said Sam, hoping that wasn't a blush she was feeling.

Carly pinched her brother on the arm. "Hey, let's go upstairs and leave these two alone, okay? I have a problem with one of my desk drawers, and I wanted to see if you could fix it."

"But I wanted to-"

"This way!"

Carly jerked her brother's arm forward as the two of them walked past the couch. "You two have fun," she said, giving her friend a wink. Sam smiled; although she liked Carly's older brother, and had even had a bit of a crush on him for a while, he could be over the top sometimes. She noticed Freddie standing patiently and realized she still hadn't said hi; she was about to say something when the apartment's front door burst open. Carly and Spencer froze halfway up the stairway, and everyone turned at the sound of the loud crack as the door hit the wall. Sam gasped.

It was Freddie's mother.

"Did I just hear Spencer say something about my boy going on a date with..."

Sam took a few involuntary steps backward as Freddie's mother's gaze locked onto her like a lion scoping out its wildebeest prey. "_You,_" she said, her voice a sharp whisper.

Sam grinned nervously.

"Uh, hey Mrs. Benson. 'Sup?"

Sam didn't need to ask to know what was up with Mrs. Benson. By the looks of things, Freddie's mother was poised to pounce. Mrs. Benson glanced around the room for a moment, noticing Spencer and Carly frozen in place on the stairs, then noticing her son, standing beside Sam. To Sam, it seemed like Mrs. Benson was looking for a way to grab a weapon and attack her without her son being caught in the crossfire.

"Freddie," she said, "why don't you come over here and stand next to mommy?"

"Uh... I think I'm going to go out with Sam, actually."

"With – with _her_? Why, Freddie? With the girl who's tried to viciously murder you?"

"Okay," laughed Sam, "maybe that's a slight exaggeration, am I right?"

Freddie's mother took an unexpected step forward, and Sam was surprised to finding herself edging back. Mrs. Benson was one of the few people who seemed crazed enough to actually make her nervous. She remembered the way Freddie's mom had come after those guys who were being mean to her son with the dual fencing foils, after all. It had been pretty ruthless. Good thing there were no swords in Carly's apartment, at least not that Sam knew of.

"Hey, Sam and Freddie."

Sam and Freddie both looked over to Spencer, who had edged back down the stairway and was now standing a few feet away from Mrs. Benson.

"Yeah?" they said in unison.

"RUN!"

Mrs. Benson jumped, startled by Spencer's yell, and then charged towards Sam and Freddie. Sam knew what was up; Spencer was about to give them a distraction of some kind. She wasn't sure what kind of distraction, but Spencer soon answered her question by leaping wildly onto Mrs. Benson's back. The two of them began to flail around the room, knocking a lamp over and almost tripping over the coffee table. Sam grabbed Freddie by the hand and jerked him out of the way before his mother reached the two of them. Spencer was slowing Mrs. Benson down, but not that much.

"Okay, bye Carly!" she yelled as she and Freddie raced for the door.

"Don't you dare run away from me, Freddie!"

"Be back later, mom!"

Mrs. Benson tried to lurch back around to intercept them before they went out the door, but Spencer's leg got caught against a piece of furniture, sending the two of them crashing to the floor. "Don't look back!" Spencer screamed as they wrestled. "Run for your freedom, children!"

Sam caught a glimpse of Carly waving to them before she closed the door and raced down the hallway with Freddie. "Go go go!" she said. "She still might make it out the door!"

The two of them ran wildly down the stairs, almost falling over, until they reached the lobby. But even in the lobby, Sam knew Freddie's mother might find them. The woman was like a Freddie-finding magnet sometimes. She grabbed Freddie by the hand again as the two of them ran outside. Once they got behind some bushes around the side of the apartment building, they stopped for a break, leaning over and panting for breath.

"Sheesh," said Sam. "I didn't realize going on a date with you would almost get me killed."

Freddie peered out from the bushes. "We're safe now. I'm just worried about what's going to happen to Spencer."

Sam nodded in agreement as she cooled down a bit from all the running. Spencer had been a stand up guy by putting himself in harm's way. It totally made up for his teasing; she'd have to thank him whenever she saw him again, as long as he was still in one piece. The inevitable fact that Freddie's mother would go nuts at the thought of Freddie dating her had failed to cross Sam's mind; apparently, Mrs. Benson thought it was even worse than the idea of her son dating Carly. Sam supposed it wasn't that surprising, really.

"See," said Freddie, "that's why I thought it was better we just meet at Carly's house. Or your house."

"Hey, if you think your mom is bad, wait 'till you start dealing with _my_ mom."

Freddie laughed. "Why, would she care? What did she think about us going out on a date?"

"Oh, I didn't tell her either – I didn't want to hear her make any comments. I guess maybe you have a point, though. She'd probably just laugh or something. But if you came over to my house, she'd be asking you all kinds of awkward questions."

Sam stepped carefully out from behind the bushes and looked over at the front door of the apartment building. It had been a few minutes, and Freddie's mother hadn't burst outside looking for them yet. That was a good sign. Freddie joined her as they waited a few moments to see if the coast was clear, and then took her by the hand, leading her in the other direction.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To see a movie."

"Which movie?"

"You'll see!"

Sam shrugged and joined her date as the two of them started walking in the direction of the theater. "So," she said after they had been silent for a moment, "it's not a problem if your mom totally freaks at the thought of us dating?"

"Nah. I'll date you if I want to, and she'll get used to it. I mean, it might make it easier if you didn't get arrested or anything, at least not more than you already have."

"Probably a good idea."

Sam realized she had been asking Freddie if his mother's attitude would be a problem for them dating, which implied that she was already thinking about more dates with him. Was that moving too fast for Freddie? Before she could decide whether that came off as weird or not, she realized that Freddie had asked her not to get arrested in the future to avoid getting even more on his mother's bad side. But if he was asking that, she wondered, it implied Freddie was _also_ thinking about them dating more in the future. Didn't it?. Maybe even going steady, for that matter.

And their first date had barely even started! It was definitely a good sign.

XX

"Caaarly! Spaghetti taaacos!"

The sound of Spencer's voice traveled upstairs to Carly's room, where she was working through a few math equations for school. She had almost forgotten it was dinner time, as she had been spending the last hour or two trying in vain to concentrate on her homework while thoughts of Freddie and Sam out on a date together occupied her mind. It was a totally momentous occasion, for sure. She never thought she'd see the day. But for now, at least, spaghetti tacos would be a welcome break from math.

"Coming!" she yelled as she bounded down the stairs.

Her spaghetti taco was already on its plate, and Spencer had just finished making his own when she sat down. The two of them began to eat; although Spencer was too eager and ended up getting a hot bite that he spat back out onto the plate with a yelp.

"Gross," said Carly.

"The noodles are _scalding_!"

Carly briefly wondered if putting salsa on a spaghetti taco would be a good idea, but decided she didn't feel like experimenting tonight. Better to stick with what she knew.

As she crunched into a bite of taco shell and noodle, she noticed a strange object standing a few feet away from the kitchen table. Something abstract, made of wood and multicolored plastic - and maybe tin can lids, from the looks of it. She gave it a closer look but couldn't figure out what it might be. Of course, whatever it was, she knew it was one of Spencer's art projects.

"One of my art projects," said Spencer, as if reading her mind.

"What's it supposed to be?"

"L'esprit de la Dump. That's French for 'Spirit of the Dump', by the way."

"Classy."

"Yeah, it's totally made out of stuff I got from the dump the other day when me and Socko were fishing around for cool junk. By the way, I'm going to be hanging out with him for a little while tonight – you don't mind holding down the fort here while I'm gone, do you?"

"That's fine."

"Just make sure you don't start any fires."

Carly arched her eyebrow. Even if it was a joke, her brother was being ridiculous.

"Anyway," he said, "I should be back in time for you to tell me how Sam and Freddie's date went down when you hear about it from them."

"Oh, don't worry, you'll hear all about it as soon as I do."

Carly was just a little bit disappointed that her brother was leaving for the evening – maybe because it meant everybody would be out having fun, leaving her alone with just her homework for company. But it wasn't a big deal, and she was used to her brother hanging out with Socko a lot, despite never having met Socko herself. He was definitely an enigma.

Much like Spencer's sculpture, which Carly couldn't seem to ignore now that she had noticed it standing there. "Why can't you ever just paint a painting, or like, make a marble sculpture? Something normal?"

"Um, they have those all over the place in museums already, Carly. What would be fun about that?"

Carly knew she had been living with her brother too long when his argument actually made sense to her. She was just making conversation, anyway; she was well aware that Spencer got bored with anything conventional, in art or in life. Even though he could actually paint really well if he ever decided to, and probably make a good marble sculpture, too. Before long, however, her mind drifted from art to other things.

"So I guess Sam and Freddie are probably watching a movie right now," she said.

"Yeah, probably smooching."

"Oh, stop," laughed Carly as her brother made a ridiculous face with his lips scrunched together.

"Let me ask you this," said Spencer, "do you think Freddie's gonna end up turning into a juvenile delinquent, or do you think Sam's gonna end up turning into a computer nerd?"

This time, it was Carly's turn to inadvertently spit out a bite of her spaghetti taco. The image of Sam wearing big glasses and geeking out with Freddie over laptop specs flashed through her mind, followed quickly by Freddie in a leather jacket, riding a motorcycle through the school hallway with Sam perched on the seat right behind him. Although it was funny, they were both far-fetched images. "I don't think either of those things will happen," she said.

"Yeah, probably not," said Spencer as he finished the last of his spaghetti taco, stuffing it into his mouth in one big bite. "Hey," he said as he chewed, "wanna help me a little with my sculpture when you're done?"

"Sure."

As she ate, Carly idly watched her brother put his plate away and began to work on the weird dump sculpture. She couldn't see Sam or Freddie changing who they were, even if they did start a relationship together; but then, maybe they didn't have to. She certainly wouldn't want either of them to change, although maybe Sam could avoid juvie in the future. The more she had thought about it, the more she realized that her friends _did_ compliment each other. Sam could give Freddie that spontaneous edge, and Freddie could give Sam some stability.

Carly finished her food, getting up to help her brother with the sculpture. Sam and Freddie were just different enough to balance each other out, she decided. Two complimentary flavors. Kind of like spaghetti in a taco shell.

XX

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_Hope you guys liked this chapter. I don't know if Sam is the spaghetti and Freddie is the taco, or vice versa. What do you guys think? Maybe Freddie is more rigid in the way he behaves, so he's a taco, whereas Sam is more flexible and loose, so she's the spaghetti? :-p_


	6. Parting With Such Sweet Smoothie

**Parting With Such Sweet Smoothie**

XX

Couple after couple streamed out of the movie theater's double doors, hand in hand. Most of them seemed like they had enjoyed the movie, judging by the way they were chatting excitedly with each other as they left the dim theater lobby. Freddie hadn't been all that impressed by the movie, even though he had picked it. He glanced at Sam as the two of them stepped out into cool evening air and began walking along the sidewalk. "So," he asked, "how was it?"

"That was the lamest thing I've ever seen, Freddie."

Freddie felt concerned for a moment - did Sam blame him for picking such a bad movie? He was about to apologize when her grimace turned into a smile. The two of them started laughing. Sam had hit the nail on the head. Even for a romantic comedy, that had been pretty bad. _Maybe I'm not so good at picking date movies_, he thought.

"Can you believe she decided to get back together with him instead of marrying Billy after he did that stupid dance in the middle of the wedding?" asked Sam. "Like that makes up for cheating on her!"

Freddie laughed as Sam demonstrated the lead character's dancing, although her version had more of an exaggerated dorky feel to it, complete with wildly swinging arms. A few theater-goers stared at Sam as they walked by, but that only made Freddie laugh even more. "That _was_ totally ridiculous," he agreed. "Sorry for picking that movie."

"That's okay. But I'm definitely picking one next time."

Freddie couldn't help noticing several of the couples holding hands as they walked by. He wondered why it stood out to him, until he realized he and Sam had been holding hands ever since they left the theater. Freddie couldn't remember if he had grabbed her hand first, or she had grabbed his. Holding hands with Sam; it was definitely a bit strange. The only time she ever held his hand was when she was in the process of dragging him somewhere, or that one time she had gotten him with the gag buzzer that gave him an electric shock. From the looks of it, she didn't even realize she was holding his hand now. Such a small thing, but it was definitely something that never would have happened with Sam before. Freddie decided he didn't mind it at all.

"So what's the plan now, Fredward?"

"I guess we should get something to eat."

"Now we're talking!"

"There's this nice restaurant down the street I heard about, maybe-"

"Oh no," said Sam, releasing her hand from his and wagging a finger in the air. "No restaurants!"

Freddie smiled at her theatrics. He supposed a fancy restaurant after the movie they had just watched might be a little corny. He knew he was a sucker for mushy stuff sometimes, as he liked to consider himself a bit of a romantic, but Sam probably wasn't into candlelit dinners. "Alright then," he said as they walked aimlessly down the sidewalk, "you have something else in mind?"

"How about the new bowling alley?"

Freddie had no idea there was a new bowling alley, but it sounded promising. You couldn't eat a bowling ball, though.

"It has food," said Sam after she caught his confused glance. "Pizza and stuff."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about you with bowling balls?"

"Relax, I'm not bad at bowling, and I promise I won't throw it at anybody. But just so you know, Freddie, I'm going to wipe the floor with you."

"Oh yeah? I haven't bowled much, but I bet I'd be okay at it. Steady hands from holding the camera all the time for our web show, right?"

Sam shook her head. "No chance! My mom used to take me bowling all the time when she was out trolling for new boyfriends – she said it was cheaper than looking for a babysitter. Plus, I played it a lot when I was in juvie, out in the yard with Sally Stabber."

Freddie was about to ask why Sally had that nickname, but decided it was too obvious.

"So get ready to strike out, chump."

"We'll see about that!"

Although he rolled his eyes, Freddie knew Sam was probably right. She could get pretty competitive, and from the sound of it, she had a lot more experience with bowling than he did. Still, considering they were on a date now, maybe Sam wouldn't be gloating quite as much when she inevitably wiped the floor with him.

The two of them had been taking twist and turns through the streets of downtown Seattle, Freddie following Sam as she made her way to the bowling alley. After another turn, she pointed in the direction of a flashing neon sign over the door of a red brick building down the street. The sky was darkening, and Freddie could see the pulsing flash of bright white bowling pins. They had to cross the road to get to the bowling alley, and Freddie's mother had always told him to look both ways, which – compared to a lot of the things his mother worried about – was surprisingly sensible and not at all insane.

He was about to stop at the crosswalk and wait for the 'walk' signal when Sam raced out into the road and shook her fist at an oncoming car, forcing it to stop. "Come on!" she yelled.

Freddie sighed and joined her as she raced across the street, ignoring several angry honks. Once they passed through the bowling alley's double doors, he heard the chatter of people coming from inside; it sounded like a busy day. A bored-looking teenager stood behind a ticket counter near the doorway, and to Freddie's right was a small cafeteria and concession stand. The bowling lanes lay ahead. Sam was about to race over to the only empty lane in sight, but the ticket-taking teenager piped up with a wheezy 'excuse me!' and stopped her in her tracks.

"What?" she snapped.

"We have to pay to play," said Freddie. "Bowling ain't free."

"Oh, man!"

Freddie was happy to pay up. He wasn't sure whether it was always expected for the man for pay for dates, especially considering that he and Sam had already been friends for a while, but more importantly, Sam wasn't paying any attention and probably didn't have any money in the first place. She was about to run away yet again before Freddie grabbed her by the arm and pointed in the direction of the booths that held the bowling shoes. Apparently, Sam was in a real hurry to beat him at bowling.

"These are so gross," said Freddie as he took a pair out of a cubby hole and started putting them on.

Sam shrugged as she grabbed a pair of her own. "They look better than my shoes. Besides, have you ever tried to go bowling in regular shoes?"

"No, what happens?"

"No traction. You fly right off your feet and go sailing down the lane."

Freddie frowned as he tied his laces. It was hard to tell if Sam was pulling his leg, but it seemed like it was possible. Maybe they'd have to test it on Gibby sometime. The two of them finished putting on their shoes and went over to the empty lane, claiming it before anyone else could steal it. Freddie was starting up a new round on the scoring console when he heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the alley. He looked up in surprise. Maybe they'd get a chance to test out Sam's shoe traction theory tonight!

"Hey, Gibby!"

Sam looked up too, and the two of them waved at their friend, who was a few lanes down with a crowd of people. Freddie couldn't help noticing they were all girls. Good-looking girls, too. Gibby waved back, finished a conversation with one of the girls, and strode over to their lane with a smile. "Hey guys," he said. "What's up?"

"Not much. We just got here."

"Where's Carly?"

"It's just us," said Sam.

"Just you guys?" asked Gibby, his eyebrow raised suspiciously. "What, like – like a date?"

Freddie was about to answer, but wondered if Sam wanted to keep things on the down low for some reason - at least at first. He glanced over; she seemed hesitant at first, but then nodded, which got a whoop of surprise from Gibby. "That's awesome!" he said. "About time!"

"What, did everybody think we were going to get together except me?" asked Freddie.

"Yes," said Gibby, after considering the question for a moment and then nodding. "Yes, pretty much."

Several of the girls who had been playing with Gibby left their lane and joined in the conversation. "Gibby," one of them said, "when are you coming back? It's your turn."

"Oh, my bad. Can you just do my round for me? I'm talking with a couple friends here."

"Hi, Gibby's friends!" said the girl with a giggle.

Freddie and Sam said hello before she returned to the lane with the others. It was a bizarre sight; almost as if Gibby had his own little entourage of groupies. Freddie couldn't make heads or tails of it. Then again, Gibby had definitely gotten a little suave lately, even if he was still willing to go through humiliation and embarrassment for their web show.

"What's with all the girls, Gibby?" asked Sam, apparently sharing his confusion.

"Oh, them? I dunno, really. Just acquaintances."

"Don't you have a girlfriend? Whatsername? Where is she?"

"She doesn't like bowling. Her loss!"

Freddie and Sam shared looks.

"Hey," said Gibby, "you guys wanna join us? I know you're on a date or whatever, so I can understand if you wanna keep things romantic and have your own lane, but our game is almost done."

"Sure," said Sam. "We'll bowl with you. Why not?"

Freddie had no problem with it either. The two of them joined Gibby and his freakishly attractive female acquaintances as they got back into their game. After a few more rounds – during which the girls seemed to jump on Gibby and hug him every time he hit so much as a single bowling pin – the game came to an end, and Gibby started a new one to let Sam and Freddie join in. Sam took the first round, and Freddie watched in surprise as she bowled a strike and pumped her fist in the air before performing a bizarre victory dance around him. She'd definitely be hard to beat.

He took his own turn, and sure enough, he ended up with a gutter ball. Sam laughed at his loss, but for the first time, he noticed a friendly affection in her attitude. Maybe he just hadn't been paying attention to it before. Their first date hadn't been all that romantic so far, but then again, he sort of liked it that way. Going out with Sam was a big change. The kind of thing that might be easier if he eased into it. The kind of thing Freddie would have thought was insane less than a month ago. And yet, here they were. It was almost like they were just hanging out as friends, finally open about how much they enjoyed each other's company. He knew it would go beyond that, but whatever happened with Sam, it would always be rooted in their friendship. And that felt right to him.

XX

What was it about carrots and whipped cream? Carly wasn't sure, but they were definitely tasty. And that was about the only thing she had going for her as she sat on the couch and flipped channels. Nothing on television, no one to hang out with – not even her brother. She had some homework she could work on, but for some reason Carly was feeling lazier than usual.

Thinking about Freddie and Sam sent a thrill of vicarious excitement through her. What were they doing right now? Maybe eating a romantic dinner for two, spaghetti and meatballs, a lone noodle stretched between their lips as they slowly drew into a kiss? Carly couldn't help giggling at the thought. It was way too ridiculous to ever happen, and she couldn't imagine Sam doing anything so corny, but she had to amuse herself somehow. They had been out on their date for a long time; night had already fallen, and she was actually getting tired. Maybe Sam would end up going home after the date, and Carly would have to quiz her on all the details tomorrow. And tease Freddie about it, too.

She had definitely decided that there wasn't anything between her and Freddie besides a close friendship. That didn't stop her from feeling a twinge of jealousy, but she didn't think it was because Sam was going out with Freddie; it was because _she_ wasn't going out with anyone. Carly didn't want to be one of those girls who needed a boyfriend all the time, but it was a little weird. Sam usually couldn't stand boys long enough to actually go out with one, and now – as far as Carly could tell – her two best friends were about to start something together that could end up being pretty serious. Carly was very happy for them, but there was a little voice inside her that said 'what about me?'

_ Maybe it's selfish_, she thought as she nibbled on a bite of sugary carrot. _ But is that such a bad thing?_

Before she could answer her own question, the doorbell interrupted her thoughts. She groaned as she finished her carrot, not wanting to get up from the couch; it was probably Mrs. Benson again. The living room had long since recovered from Freddie's mother's wild outburst after figuring out her little angel was going on a date with Sam, but she had come back to bother Carly several times since then, wondering if Freddie had gotten back yet. There was something amusing about the fact that Mrs. Benson assumed Freddie would stop by Carly's place before he went into his own apartment.

The doorbell rang again, and Carly decided it wasn't a good idea to ignore it. Mrs. Benson was probably almost as good as Sam at getting through doors even when they were locked. She got up and walked over to open it, but it wasn't Mrs. Benson waiting in the hallway. Carly almost jumped in surprise.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Hey Brad!" said Carly. "What's up? There's no web show tonight."

"Oh yeah, I know, but I was hoping I could look around upstairs for some equipment I left when we were doing the last show. I thought maybe Freddie had it, but his mom answered the door and just kept saying he was probably in Mexico with a biker gang or something. I dunno, I was having trouble understanding her, her voice was really high."

"Yes, she's distraught. Come on in!"

"Cool."

Carly stepped aside to let Brad into the apartment. He definitely noticed the plate of carrots and can of whipped cream sitting on the coffee table, but didn't say anything about it. "Where's your brother?" he asked instead.

"Out."

"Ah. Cool sculpture he's got there."

Carly glanced over to the art project she and Spencer had been working on before he left. "Yeah, as long as it doesn't spontaneously combust."

"Um, is that a regular problem with Spencer's art?"

"You have no idea."

Brad gave her a sympathetic look. "So why is Mrs. Benson distraught, anyway?"

"Oh, Freddie and Sam are out on a date together."

"No way!"

"Yes way! Pretty cool, huh?"

"Definitely. As long as he doesn't do anything stupid and make Sam angry, right?"

Carly laughed, but it _was_ sort of a serious question. And it was true; Freddie probably didn't want to ruin a first date with Sam if he wanted to keep all his limbs intact. But Carly was sure he was doing alright, and Sam seemed to be mellowing out a bit more lately. She had faith in Freddie's ability to stay on Sam's good side, and retain the use of both arms and both legs. Besides - compared to Sam's usual boyfriends, it would be hard for Freddie to do anything all that bad.

Brad took the stairs up to the attic where they filmed the web show as Carly followed behind. She waited while he looked around, but he couldn't seem to find what he was looking for. "I guess Freddie probably has it," he finally said as he gave up the search.

"You can hang around if you want," suggested Carly. "He and Sam might stop by after their date."

"Sure!"

"I don't suppose you brought any fudge with you?"

"No," laughed Brad, "sorry. No fudge this time."

Carly frowned, disappointed. Carrots and whipped cream would have to do for tonight.

"But hey, if you have the ingredients, I could show you how to make some."

Her frown turned into a hopeful smile. Spencer was horrible at getting groceries, but he had actually gotten some recently in a freak bout of productivity. And if there was anything she could rely on Spencer getting from the store, it was sugary treats and the ingredients needed to make them. Their chances were looking good.

"Definitely," she said. "Let's check in the cupboard."

The two of them raced back down the stairs to the kitchen. Carly had not been expecting a visitor tonight, but she definitely wasn't complaining; late night snacks were always fun, too. If they did have what they needed to make brownies, they'd have to make a little extra for when Spencer got back, too. And if they didn't, maybe she could convince Brad to join her in a little trip to the supermarket.

Not only that, but Carly was beginning to wonder if picking up some electronic equipment was really the only reason Brad had stopped by. He could have just asked Freddie at school, after all. As long as Brad _was_ stopping by, and as long as Sam's interest was focused on someone else, maybe Carly could figure out if there was anything promising between them. After all – if Sam wasn't interested in fudgy good times, Carly was certainly willing to give it a try.

XX

"So what's up with Gibby and girls, huh?"

Freddie shrugged. Sam didn't expect him to have an answer to the question, as she had only been asking it rhetorically, and it was probably one of those unanswerable mysteries of the universe, anyway. Just a couple of years ago, Gibby had been a total dork – still was, as far as she was concerned – but he had morphed into a total ladies man somehow. Was it because he didn't take off his shirt so much anymore? Maybe keeping the shirt on made him seem classy to girls who had gotten used to him at school walking around bare-chested half the time. Gibby with a shirt on was like a regular person in a snappy suit and tie. Sam would probably never understand. More importantly, she was thirsty.

"Hey, T-Bo, get over here!"

The two of them had been waiting at the Groovy Smoothie's front counter for several minutes. It was dark outside, and the place was pretty empty. Sam would have gotten impatient about T-Bo's absence much earlier if she hadn't been talking about bowling and Gibby-girl-entourages with Freddie. She was about to leap over the counter and look for T-Bo when he appeared from the back. "Hey, Sam and Freddie," he said. "I was just puttin' some stuff on sticks."

"Well, me and the Fredster need smoothies."

"Can do! What kind?"

"I dunno," said Sam. "Banana."

"I'll have an orange," added Freddie.

"You sure? I got a new flavor - asparagus!"

"Um, no thanks. Orange is fine. And if you'll excuse me Sam, I have to go visit the powder room."

Sam could tell Freddie was trying to be funny, and while it came off awkward, it was still amusing in its own way. She waved him off as he left his stool and disappeared to the back of the store. A churning sound came from behind the counter as T-Bo began to make their smoothies, and Sam caught him giving Freddie a glance as he disappeared. "So," he said as he looked over to her, "you and Freddie getting' a smoothie late at night, huh?"

"Yup."

"Just the two of you, I see. No Carly."

"Yup."

A raised eyebrow was more than enough to tell Sam where T-Bo was trying to take the conversation. She was determined not to give him a reaction, but after a moment, she couldn't help smiling. T-Bo nodded, his suspicions confirmed. "I told ya not to worry," he said. "Just had to tell the boy the truth, that's all!"

"Yeah, you were right. Now make me my Banana Smoothie!"

"Alright already. And don't worry, I'll give you two some quality romantic time once he's back. Don't wanna spoil the mood."

Sam felt herself blushing a little, and T-Bo reaching over to dim the lights didn't help the situation. Before long, the two smoothies were finished, and Freddie got back from the bathroom just as T-Bo placed them on the counter. True to his word, he slipped into the back of the store, leaving Sam alone with Freddie as he took a sip of his drink. "So," she said, "how does it feel, getting totally wiped out in bowling?"

"What can I say," said Freddie. "I feel sorry for those bowling pins. Especially the one that broke in half."

Sam nodded enthusiastically – that bowling pin had definitely lost its fight with her bowling ball. Big time. Although, if she was being honest, she hadn't really played that well, it was just that Freddie was worse. And she had gotten a sneaking suspicion during a few rounds that Freddie was actually letting her win. Maybe it was just a first date thing. Or maybe he was just afraid of winning against her and making her angry; she did get a little competitive sometimes. "By the way," she said, "now that we're dating – I can't believe I'm saying this – but I'll try to go a little easier on you from now on. Like, less punching and stuff."

"Less punching is always good," agreed Freddie.

"I'm still kinda surprised you agreed to go out on a date with me. The way you ran off after I kissed you at the lock-in, I thought you were freaked out by the thought of me liking you."

"Well, I _was,_ at first. But I thought it would be worth giving it a chance."

"And was it worth it?"

"Definitely! I've had a lot of fun tonight, haven't you?"

"Yeah. Except for that dumb movie. But I guess that was kinda fun, too."

Sam looked down at her smoothie as she sucked on the straw, hearing a sputtering sound as it ran out. She'd need to get another one, although that would involve yelling for T-Bo to come back, and he might throw out some embarrassing comments about her and Freddie being out on a date. But then again, he might have some tasty meat on a stick back there, too.

"So when did you realize you liked me?" asked Freddie.

"A while ago. After I saw you dancing with Carly here at the Groovy Smoothie, actually."

"Oh. So you were jeeealous?"

Freddie extended the last word to tease her, and Sam resisted the urge to punch him on the arm. After all, she had just promised to cut that kind of thing out in the future. She knew there was no way she'd be able to stop giving Freddie a hard time completely, though. "Yeah," she admitted. "At first, anyway. But I realized I actually liked you after that."

"So why did you decide you liked me?"

"Boy, somebody's fishing for compliments."

Freddie shrugged innocently as he sipped his smoothie. Sam rolled her eyes as she thought about how to answer his question. Why _did_ she like Freddie, exactly? He had nice biceps nowadays, but that wasn't it. He was a nice guy, but that had always kind of annoyed her in the past. He was smart, but again, Freddie's little tangents about technical stuff had always gotten on her nerves. He was pretty much the same guy he had always been, but somehow her feelings towards him had changed over time so slowly that they hit her over the head before she knew what to do with them. Things he did that used to annoy her weren't so bothersome anymore. They were cute, actually. Maybe Sam had just grown up a little.

"I dunno," she said. "You're less annoying than all the other guys in school."

Freddie laughed. Sam didn't mean it to be funny, but she supposed it was.

"You're just Freddie, that's all."

"Good enough for me."

Their smoothies were empty. Sam was considering calling T-Bo back for refills when Freddie looked at his watch and then over his shoulder, out the Groovy Smoothie's glass doorway. Night had fallen outside, and it was definitely getting late. Sam could already tell it was bothering Freddie to be out so late, although she knew her mother wouldn't care when she got back. She never even had to call her when she was staying over at Carly's place.

"It's getting pretty late," said Freddie. "I should probably get back before my mom gets angry."

"You know, if you're going out with me, your mom's gonna be angry anyway."

Freddie laughed and nodded, acknowledging her point.

"And you'll have to push your boundaries a little. Like, we're definitely going to have to throw some Fat Cakes at bicyclists this weekend."

"Do we _have_ to?" asked Freddie with a bit of a whine, clearly not happy about the thought of knocking people off their bikes.

Sam wasn't surprised at his reaction, but she knew he'd warm up to it once he experienced it first-hand. There was nothing quite like getting a direct hit with a Fat Cake. "We absolutely have to," she said. "But I guess it _is_ getting late. We've been out for hours."

"Wanna head out, then?"

"Sure."

Sam got up, about to leave the Groovy Smoothie with Freddie, when T-Bo appeared from the back room as if he was being chased by dogs. He raced up to the counter in a flash and pointed to the two empty smoothie cups. "Pay up!" he said.

Sam was about to tell him she had no money when Freddie plopped a few bills on the counter for the both of them. She considered asking T-Bo what kind of food on a stick he had in the back, but decided Freddie had been nice enough in spotting her for cash already. T-Bo put the money in the register and winked at the two of them as they got ready to leave. "Have fun, you two lovebirds!" he said as they went out the door.

A chilly breeze ran through the night air, and the front of the Groovy Smoothie was illuminated by its neon smoothie sign. Sam looked out over the lights of Seattle, thinking about how her night had gone. About what would happen next. It was surprising how straightforward their date had been. Nothing overly romantic, nothing sappy, and it didn't feel like any of the other dates she had ever been on – not that she had gone on many. It was just hanging out. Having fun. The kind of thing she had done with Freddie before, although usually Carly was hanging around them too.

The night had been totally natural, and other than the romantic movie they had watched, none of it had made her nervous. Everything felt right, and she felt completely comfortable around Freddie. Now that they had passed the test of their first date, Sam felt more and more certain that their friendship would be alright, and she was definitely looking forward to letting it blossom into something more. She hoped Freddie felt the same way.

"I guess I'm going home," he said.

"Yeah, me too."

The two of them stood silently for a moment, listening to the sound of cars driving by.

"So, uh, call me sometime?"

Sam laughed at Freddie's comment. "Of course," she said. "Or I'll just see you at school."

They nodded to each other, and yet Freddie still didn't move.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Well, I was just thinking that maybe our date isn't really over yet."

"It isn't?"

"Not really. It needs a good ending, don't you think?"  
Sam had no idea what Freddie was talking about, but before she could say anything, he took a step forward and kissed her. It caught her by surprise, but as far as surprises went, it was quite a nice one. The kiss was a little awkward at first – as if Freddie was hesitant about whether it was the right move – but when she pulled him a little closer, he grew more confident. It was a little bit different than the one at the lock-in. This time they were both expecting it. And, when they finally pulled apart, she could taste just a hint of banana and strawberry on her lips.

"Good night," he said.

Freddie gave her a brief smile and a wave before he turned around and went off in the direction of his apartment building. Sam wanted to get home too, as it was a little cold out, but she couldn't help watching him as he walked off down the darkened sidewalk. It was hard to tell, but she thought he had just a little bit of a triumphant swagger in his step. _What a dork_, she thought.

But he was her dork now.

XX

* * *

_The end! Hope you guys liked the story. Sorry for the long delay in getting the last chapter up, but for some reason I just totally lost my motivation to write anything. And I couldn't resist having another title with a smoothie reference in it, hehe._

_This is my only iCarly story, but I have a variety of other stories - a lot for Kim Possible, and a few for various other shows. Check them out if you are interested._


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